GasGas’ Sergio Garcia returned to Moto3 action after his Austin accident in fine style at Portimao securing his maiden GP pole.
Scot John McPhee came within a breath of the Spaniard’s 1’47.274 time as the number 17 sat just 17-hundredths adrift at the close of Q2, Sterilgarda Max Racing’s Adrian Fernandez completing the front row.
Qualifying began with Niccolò Antonelli among the lightweight fighters hoping for promotion into the top 18. Gabriel Rodrigo declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend and the 2021 season thanks to his injured left shoulder.
Jeremy Alcoba led the way for the opening 13 riders with a 1’48.675 lap. Yuki Kunii taking second from Alberta Surra and Joel Kelso with Antonelli and Stefano Nepa firmly at the back.
The final runs brought improvement for the Gresini rider as Alcoba refined the target to 1’48.127 while Antonelli advanced to fourth. The Italian lucky to hold on in the closing moments as no challenges registered with the chequered flag waving.
Filip Salac held the cards as Q2 got going, Ayumu Sasaki heading FP3 hero McPhee in the top three with Pedro Acosta, Alcoba and Izan Guevara aligning on the provisional second row. Xavi Artigas bettered Darryn Binder and his Leopard title-fighting teammate Dennis Foggia with Andrea Migno rounding out the top 10 at the halfway stage.
Jaume Masia leapt to fourth as the final run kicked up, Garcia striking for his maiden pole with a 1’47.274 as Foggia improved to fifth. A late charge from Masia claimed second while Acosta dropped to eighth the KTM Ajo pair finding the flag before the ultimate shuffle.
Concluding drama put McPhee in second, just 0.017 away from pole position with Fernandez joining him on the edge of the front row. Foggia will start his all-important penultimate title challenging race from fourth with Masia and Artigas for company while Binder heads Antonelli and Salac on row three. Sasaki, Alcoba and Guevara complete row four while Romano Fenati and Acosta completed qualifying in a disappointing 13th and 14th respectively. Surra, Migno, Kunii and Tatsuki Suzuki round out the top 18.
